Evaporator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. P. LAMBERT.

EVAPORATOR. No. 357,775. Patented Feb. 15-, 1887.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. F. LAMBERT.

EVAPORATOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

WILLIAM F. LAMBERT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

EVAPO RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,775, dated February 15, 1 887. Application filed April 15, 1886. Serial No. 190,015. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. LAMBERT, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement .in Evaporators; and I hereby declare the foland a means for returning the air again after it has passed through the chamber to be again reheated, together with certain details of construction, all of which will be more fully described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a sectional view on the line a w of Fig. 2, showing the furnaces in plan and the diaphragm a removed. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 3/ y of Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the temperature-regulator and the drying-ehamber. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the regulator. Fig. 6 is a transverse section'of one of the hollow shelves. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the side of the drying-chamber, showing the passages connecting with those of the hollow shelves. Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the drier, the

heater, and the several connections, illustrating the passage of theheated air and its return to the heater.

A is a conveniently-shaped casing, within which the furnaces a are contained. These furnaces, in the present case, are shown as being rectangular in shape, having doors through which fuel may be introduced, as required, and the furnaces extend from the front back toward the rear end of the casing.

c is the smoke-flue,which leads from the rear end of the furnaces, being carried upward from that point and then returned through the upper part of the casing in which the heated air is contained, thus heating it to a-still higher degree.

0 c are vertical and horizontal diaphragms or partitions extending above and between the furnaces, so as to direct the current of air which enters through the inlet'pipe b, and passes around first one side to the rear of the furnaces, thence across the rear end, thence along the other side toward the front, thence up over the furnace upon that side, down between the two and beneath the vertical diaphragm c, thence up by the side of the next furnace around the end of the horizontal diaphragm a into the chamber d, through which the smokepipe 6 passes, as shown plainly in Figs. 1 and 2. For convenience in cleaning, the smokepipe has two doors or opeuin s-one, h, in

the end of the horizontal portion, and another, h, at the bottom of the vertical portion-and a door, h is arranged in the rear of the casing, communicating with a chamber beneath the door h, so that soot or ashes accumulated in the pipe may be discharged into this chamber and easily removed therefrom. From this heater the air iseonveyed through one or more pipes, g, and passes into a receiver,

1", (see Fig. 5,) the pipes and the receiver being covered with a non-conducting material. This receiver has a vertical diaphragm or partition, 1), extending through it longitudinally and resting on the bottom, and having a space above its upper edge, over which the air may pass. The air is admitted into this receiver through the pipes g 9 near the bottom, passing up over the diaphragm 1), thence downwardly on the other side, and through a passage or opening into the evaporator or drying-chamber. The upper part of this reservoir r has a number of openings, t, with hinged covers, which may be opened and thermometers introduced from time to time to show the temperature at this point; or the thermometers may be fixed with their bulbs permanently in the regulating-chamber.

In order to regulate the temperature, if it be too high at this point, one or more tubes, 8, extend longitudinally and horizontally into the chamber, being open at one or both ends, and having their sides perforated with numerous small holes, through which the exterior air may be admitted. lhcse tubes have caps or plugs, which close their outer ends, and when the temperature is suitable they remain closed;

' but if it is too high one or more of them may be opened, and the cold air entering from the outside will pass through the perforations into the regulating-chamber, thus reducing the temperature of the air as it passes to any desired point, and this reduction will" be made very regular by reason of the numerous points through which air enters the regulator.

The degree of heat in the first chamber of the regulator is shown by the thermometers at that point, and the degree in the second portion after it has passed over the vertical diaphragm is shown by the thermometers in that part.

The evaporator or drying-chamber B contains a series of horizontal hollow shelves, which are preferably made as shown by the transverse section, Fig. 6, having a bottom formed of sheet metal, and the sides and. top are formed by folding other sheets of metal, so as to make inclosed spaces, through which the heated air may be passed. These sheets are bent down and riveted to the bottom sheet at intervals, as shown at C, Fig. 6, and this forms the separate chambers shown at D. The ends of the evaporatirig-chambers are formed with hollow vertical fines E E, Figs. 4. and 7, into which the air enters at one end from the regulator r, and from which it escapes at the other end after passing through the hollow shelves. These vertical chambers 1 E have openings 0 made in their inner faces, correspondin with the fines or passages through the hollow shelves D, and these shelves are fitted and secured between these vertical chambers, so that the'air entering one chamber passes through the shelves and escapes into the other chamber.

A suction-fan is placed in the dischargepipe F, which communicates with the chamber E at the discharge end of the shelves,and this fan, which is .driven by any suitable mechanism or power at M, serves to produce a constant current through the apparatus and into the discharge-pipe F. This dischargepipe leads the air back again so as to enter the furnace-chamber A through the inlet-pipe b, where it is again heated and returned to the evaporator.

Fromthis construction it will be seen that the heated air never comes in actual contact with any materialto be dried, but simply passes through the fiues in the shelves, heating them to any desired degree, the material to be dried being placed upon these shelves, and there being sufficient openings and passages at the sides through which the moisture may be conveyed away as fast as expelled from the material. By the construction that I have shown for my shelves they are made light, sufficiently rigid to support whatever is necessary to be placed upon them to be dried, and the fines or passages are formed through them in a convenient manner.

It will be manifest that the air leaves the evaporating-chamber at a temperature which is still considerably elevated, so that when it is again returned to the furnace it will not need as great an amount of fuel to raise it to the proper temperature again as if fresh cold air were introduced, and this reduces the consumption of fuel to the very lowest degree. By using two or more furnaces, arranged as I have shown, and forcing the air around and between them it is quickly raised to the desired temperature, and a great number of tubes and fines may be dispensed with, thus saving greatly in cost of construction.

In order to arrange the apparatus so that it may be easily set up and taken down for transportation with the least possible amount of work, the ends E E of the evaporator-chamber are secured together by means of long iron rodsG, (see Fig. 8,) .which pass through the lines formed in the shelves extending through the outer sides of the chambers, and having eyes outside, through which wedges may be driven, thus drawing the ends firmly against the shelves and uniting the whole ina single solid body.

Having thus described myinvention, what I I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters.

Patent, is

1. The furnace consisting of the vexterior casing having heaters disposed longitudinally within it, horizontal and vertical diaphragms by which the air admitted through the inletpassage is directed over and around the heaters, and a chamber into which air passes and through which the outlet or smoke pipe or pipes of the furnace pass, substantially as herein described.

2. The regulating-chamber having inlet and exit passages at the bottom and upon opposite sides, a vertical diaphragm extending upwardly from the bottom between these passages, in combination with the perforated pipes or flues extending through the first or receiving portion of the chamber, and having caps or valveswherebyair maybe admittedinto the chamber to regulate and reduce the term perature, substantially as herein described.

3. The heat regulating chamber interposed between the furnaces and evaporatingchanibers having inlet and outlet pipes on op-,

posite sides of the bottom, and a diaphragm extending nearly to the top and dividing the space, air-inlet pipes extending through the first of these chambers, and openings through which thermometers may be introduced into the two chambers, substantially as herein described.

4. An evaporator consisting of the vertical end chambers, in combination with the shelves made hollow or constructed with interior flues, the ends of which communicate with the opposite end chambers, so that hot air may be passed through them, substantially as herein described.

5. The evaporator composed of shelves made hollow or having flues or passages extending through them, hollow vertical chambers hav- IIO asi'ris 3 ing corresponding openings to communicate produced through the apparatus,substantia1ly IO with the shelves, so as to form a continuous as herein described. passage through them, in combination with a In witness whereof I have hereunto set my heating-furnace, passages or pipes connect- I hand. ing one side of the furnace or heating-chamber with the inlet-chamber of the evaporator and other pipes connecting the opposite chamber with the inlet-passages of the heater, and a fan or blower, by which a constant current is 1 WM. F. LAMBERT;

Witnesses S. H. NoURsE, H. B. APPLEWHAITE. 

